Lesson Plan: Data Handling and Graphs

Inline Questions

Learning Objectives

By the end of this two-week period, students will be able to:

  1. Understand the meaning of data and its types (qualitative and quantitative).

  2. Collect, organize, and interpret data.

  3. Represent data using tally marks, tables, pictographs, and bar graphs.

  4. Solve problems using data from tables, pictographs, and bar graphs.

  5. Develop reasoning and analytical skills using data representation.


Week 1

Day 1: Introduction to Data

Topics: What is data? Types of data (qualitative vs quantitative)

Activities:

  1. Begin with a real-life example: “In your class, how many students like cricket, football, and badminton?”

  2. Discuss what data is and its importance in daily life.

  3. Explain types of data:

    • Qualitative data: Descriptive (e.g., favorite color)

    • Quantitative data: Numerical (e.g., height in cm, number of books)

Teaching Materials: Chart paper, markers, NCERT textbook.

Inline Questions:

  • Can you give an example of qualitative data from your school?

  • How can we collect quantitative data from your classroom?

Assessment: Oral questioning, 3 examples from students.


Day 2: Collecting and Organizing Data

Topics: Data collection, tally marks

Activities:

  1. Conduct a small survey in class (e.g., favorite fruit).

  2. Teach how to record responses using tally marks.

  3. Convert tally marks into a simple table.

Teaching Materials: Worksheet for tally marks, pencils, board.

Inline Questions:

  • If 7 students like apples, how will you show it in tally marks?

  • How do tally marks help us count quickly?

Assessment: Students complete a mini-survey and organize data in a table.


Day 3: Representing Data in Tables

Topics: Creating frequency tables

Activities:

  1. Introduce the concept of frequency tables.

  2. Use previous day’s tally data to make a frequency table.

  3. Demonstrate examples from NCERT textbook.

Teaching Materials: Board, worksheet, sample data sets.

Inline Questions:

  • How many students like oranges according to the table?

  • Can we make a table for 5 different fruits?

Assessment: Students complete a table with their own data.


Day 4: Pictographs (Part 1)

Topics: Introduction to pictographs, symbols for representation

Activities:

  1. Show a pictograph from the textbook.

  2. Explain the meaning of symbols and scales (e.g., 1 symbol = 2 students).

  3. Students create a pictograph for classroom data (favorite color).

Teaching Materials: Graph paper, colored pencils.

Inline Questions:

  • What does one symbol represent in this pictograph?

  • How many students like blue color if 3 symbols are drawn?

Assessment: Students draw pictographs in their notebook.


Day 5: Pictographs (Part 2)

Topics: Reading and interpreting pictographs

Activities:

  1. Provide a pictograph from a different scenario (e.g., books read per month).

  2. Ask questions like:

    • How many students read the most books?

    • Which activity is least preferred?

  3. Practice converting data from tables to pictographs.

Teaching Materials: Worksheets with pictographs.

Inline Questions:

  • Which category has the highest value?

  • Can we make a pictograph for your class survey?

Assessment: Worksheet-based exercises.


Week 2

Day 6: Introduction to Bar Graphs

Topics: Understanding bar graphs, vertical and horizontal bars

Activities:

  1. Introduce bar graphs using classroom survey data.

  2. Explain x-axis (categories) and y-axis (frequency).

  3. Demonstrate drawing bars of appropriate height.

Teaching Materials: Graph paper, markers, colored pencils.

Inline Questions:

  • What does the height of a bar show?

  • Can a bar graph show qualitative and quantitative data?

Assessment: Students plot a simple bar graph from collected data.


Day 7: Drawing Bar Graphs

Topics: Step-by-step drawing of bar graphs

Activities:

  1. Practice drawing bar graphs for given data sets.

  2. Emphasize correct labeling, scaling, and spacing of bars.

Teaching Materials: Worksheets, graph paper, rulers.

Inline Questions:

  • How do you decide the scale for the y-axis?

  • Why should the bars be of equal width?

Assessment: Students draw bar graphs individually.


Day 8: Reading Bar Graphs

Topics: Interpreting information from bar graphs

Activities:

  1. Provide pre-drawn bar graphs.

  2. Ask questions:

    • Which category has the maximum frequency?

    • How many students prefer a particular choice?

  3. Encourage comparison between categories.

Inline Questions:

  • Which category has the least value?

  • What is the difference between the highest and lowest bars?

Assessment: Oral and written responses from students.


Day 9: Solving Problems from Data

Topics: Word problems using tables, pictographs, and bar graphs

Activities:

  1. Solve examples from NCERT textbook.

  2. Students practice:

    • Extracting data

    • Performing addition/subtraction for frequency

  3. Discuss real-life scenarios (e.g., sales of items, daily temperatures).

Inline Questions:

  • How many more students like football than cricket?

  • What is the total number of students surveyed?

Assessment: Students solve 3–5 word problems individually.


Day 10: Revision and Mini-Assessment

Topics: Consolidation of all concepts

Activities:

  1. Recap data handling, tally marks, tables, pictographs, and bar graphs.

  2. Conduct a class quiz (oral + written).

  3. Students complete a mini-assessment worksheet covering:

    • Organizing data

    • Drawing graphs

    • Interpreting graphs

Assessment: Evaluate the worksheet for understanding.